Bird in a Cage
by schleeshins
Summary: It's the year 851, and the 58th recon mission to reclaim Wall Maria has just begun. Lyra Everhart, though wary and doubtful, is determined to see the mission through. But that all changes when she's forced to evacuate her squad with Eren Yeager. Despite Lyra's fear and distrust of the titan shifter, the two must work together if they ever want to make it back to Wall Rose...alive.
1. Chapter 1

"SCOUTS MOVE OUT!"

The loud roar of the commander rang through the air, signalling that the 58th Expedition beyond the walls had begun. Jumping at the loud and powerful voice, Lyra Everhart gave her horse a quick kick. The animal leapt forward, galloping to catch up with the other recruits.

Jade-colored orbs locked ahead on the horizon, a line of tall for and evergreen trees coming into view. Swallowing, she urged her horse on, riding alongside Erwin. "C-Commander?" She asked hesitantly.

The blonde man glanced to the side, surprised to see the normally silent girl speaking up. "What is it?" He asked.

"A-Are you sure you want me with Levi's Squad?" She inquired, "I...I don't think I'll be of much help."

"It's the safest spot in the formation," Erwin answered, giving her another sideways glance. "Since it's your first time officially out in the field, I figured you'd want to stay in innermost formation. Especially since the outer formations will encounter the most titans and well...you know."

"I attract titans like a magnet." The girl muttered quietly, lowering her head.

"I'm honestly surprised you volunteered to come along," Erwin spoke up after a depressing pause of silence. "It's a brave thing to do, Lyra. I'm proud of you."

The dark-haired girl looked up, surprise flickering in her jade orbs. Did he just say he's proud of me? Her cheeks burned red and she quickly averted her gaze. However, she couldn't stop her lips from turning up into a small smile.

For as long as Lyra could remember, she had been alone. She could hardly remember anything from before the age of six or seven. She truly had no memory of who her family was or where she came from. One of her first memories was of wandering the streets of the Orvud District. And upon trying to recall the memory, she could only remember a sense of anxiety and fear-like she had been searching for something. But when the king needed more test subjects for the top secret Project Immunity, she was one of the first to be snatched up and shipped off to the interior underground for testing. Injection after injection she was treated like a lab rat. The king had wanted to create a serum that would make humans ultimately immune to titans. The concoction was supposed to make humans secrete a smell that titans found repulsive, and once the so called "cure" was created, it would be distributed to every human within the walls. However, upon testing, it was found that the serum had the opposite effect. Instead of titans finding the smell repulsive, they found it appealing.

The sixteen year old shivered, grimacing at the sudden flood of memories. When the time came for her to be tested, she was literally dumped in titan territory. It didn't take long for countless titans to catch her scent and swarm. Lyra tightened her grip on the reins. I still don't know how I survived that. I ran for hours, jumping every giant hand and mouth that came my way. By some strange miracle I ended up running into the Scouts.

It was strange. The brunette found herself lost in thought. Erwin had saved her from the depths of hell when she was just twelve years old. He even opened up his own home to her, practically taking her in when no one else would. If she was completely honest with herself, she looked up to him like a father. Taking in a deep breath, she focussed on keeping herself focussed and calm. I owe him my life. And even though this is suicide, I don't want anything to happen to him. I owe him this much!

"PREPARE TO SPLIT!" Erwin shouted. And extending his hand into the air,, he shot out a green smoke signal.

The grey mare whinnied as Lyra tugged back on the reins, forcing the animal to slow down and veer to the right.

"Captain!" The brunette shouted, alerting the leader of the special operations squad that she had joined them.

The short man nodded and increased his speed, leading the small group towards the forest ahead.

Giant trees were everywhere. Lyra gazed around in wonder at the beautiful canopies. She had never seen so many trees in one place before. And never once in her life did she think she would get to see anything besides the stone walls of that cell she had been locked in for nearly seven years of her life.

It was nice. A quiet ride with no titan interference yet. Levi rode in front, leading the group down an old dirt path that Lyra concluded used to be used for transportation years ago.

The girl could sense that her horse was starting to get tired and reassuringly, she rubbed the mare's silky neck. "Good girl, Lily," she spoke quietly to the animal. She had fallen behind Mikasa and Connie, finding herself riding uncomfortably close to Eren Jaeger.

It wasn't that Lyra hated him, per say, but she certainly didn't trust him. After all, the first time they met had been a terrifying encounter for her. She shivered at the memory. They had been paired together for a training exercise shortly after they had both joined the Survey Corps. And before the girl could even introduce herself, he had tackled her and pinned her to the ground, madly repeating over and over again on how delicious she smelled.

To say the least, it freaked her out, and Lyra had made sure to stay clear of him ever since, interacting with him only when absolutely necessary. Hesitantly she glanced to the side, grateful to see that he was staring ahead, a look of determination on his face. But her relief was short-lived as he suddenly turned towards her, his gaze locking with hers.

"Can't believe we're finally back out in the field again. You nervous?" He grinned, his gaze softening when he noticed that she was looking at him.

"..." The brunette remained silent. Quickly she averted her gaze to hands, tightening her grip on the reins once more.

After watching other people die at the hands of titans under Project Immunity, Lyra was wary, and wanted to avoid titans as much as possible. And that's what Eren Jaeger was to her: a titan. He was a ticking time bomb of anger that could turn into a fifteen meter killing machine, and that terrified her to the core.

"Miss? Uh, Miss...Everhart?"

"Lyra." The sixteen year old corrected and shook her head, coming back to the present. "Just Lyra is fine."

"Lyra..." he repeated the name and looked up, remembering the past, "You were in the western division right? Guess that explains why we never really talked to each other, huh? I heard you graduated in the top ten. Plus I remember you beating Jean's ass a couple weeks ago after he tried hitting on you, so you're alright in my book!" He grinned.

"Haha, y-yeah." The girl laughed nervously. She just wanted to get away from him, and quickly.

"Hey, brats!" Levi yelled from the front,"Shut up! Enough talk back there unless you wanna attract titans!"

Lyra instantly sat straight up. "Y-Yes sir!" The two replied in unison. Laughing in embarrassment, Eren rode ahead, leaving Lyra alone in silence. She breathed a sigh of relief once he was far enough away. She found herself looking around the large trees, suspicious as to why there were no titan encounters yet. I should be attracting every titan within a two mile radius...Getting nervous, the brunette found herself getting antsy and very on edge. Something wasn't right.

"The end of the forest is just ahead," Levi called, "Be on your guard. We got some ruins of an old village coming up. It's most likely infested with titans."

Lyra swallowed, her throat tightening and her stomach churning. His words made her skin crawl. "You're doing this for Erwin," she whispered to herself, "He saved your life, this is the least you can do. So suck it up. Follow Levi's orders, no matter what." Her eyes slowly trailed down to her trembling hands. Unconsciously, she gripped the reins tighter, threatening to have them cut into her her hands.

Glancing over his shoulder, Eren took notice of the fearful expression lingering on her face, a concerned look crossing his face. "You alright?!" He yelled.

"Left!"

Lyra was pulled back into reality as her horse abruptly increased its speed and sharply swerved to the side. Glancing over her shoulder, the girl gasped as she saw the reason the formation was heading left.

It was a small one, no more than three meters tall. Slowly it trudged towards the group, it's lips turning up into a creepy and sinister grin as its blue eyes locked onto the Survey Corps member lingering at the back of the formation. Coming to a stop, it seemed to lose interest, before it crouched low to the ground and began sprinting towards them.

"Cadet Everhart, speed up!" Levi yelled furiously.

Lyra couldn't tear her eyes away from the running titan. Her vision blurred and her mouth hung open as she felt a scream rising in her throat. She swerved to the right, barely managing to dodge the titan as it lunged itself at her, its face coming in harsh contact with the ground. Wasting no time, she increased her speed, catching up with the group.

"That was close! You ok?" Eren asked, moving to ride alongside her.

"Y-yeah," The sixteen year old tried to focus on catching her breath. She was still in a state of shock, her body in flight mode.

"Damn titans!" Eren muttered under his breath. "H-Hey ease up on the reins a little!" He urged, "You're bleeding!"

Her eyes drifted down to the death grip she had on the reins, surprised to see a small amount of red dripping down onto the saddle. Her body suddenly started to register pain, and she grimaced. I actually managed to cut myself with leather. I need to calm down…..

"It's alright," Eren offered some words of comfort, "Just focus."

Lyra nodded numbly, her mind still processing everything that was happening.

"Look, there!" Levi yelled, pointing to his left, "Over there, that forest leads directly to a series of caves. On the other side is the abandoned city of Jericho. And beyond that is a river. That's where Erwin wants us to set up camp! Avoid the left, Jericho is sure to be completely infested!"

"Yes, sir!"

It's alright, you're fine, Lyra. The brunette tried to console herself. Just listen to Levi. Everything will be fine, everything will be fine, everything will be-

"MOVE!" The shout brought Lyra back to reality and glancing to her right, she saw Eren's hand reach out and smack the rear of her horse. The grey mare whinnied and violently swerved to the left. Glancing over her shoulder again, she spotted a fifteen meter class suddenly burst through a small clearing in the trees. It crouched on all fours and began crawling towards them at an alarming speed.

The abnormal lunged forward, chomping at the rear of Eren's horse, barely missing its tail before it skidded off to the side.

"Eren!" The girl found herself reaching out towards him, afraid that he would fall off his horse.

"I'll be fine keep going!"

"Eyes forward, Everhart!" Jean shouted, "Jaeger's fine!"

It didn't take long for the abnormal to turn itself around and chase after them again, it's ravenous and hungry gaze locked onto Lyra.

"Captain! Should we engage!?" Mikasa shouted. But before Levi could even give the order, his horse reared and veered to the left as two more titans emerged from the trees.

"Damn it!" Levi cursed, patting the stallion's neck. "Steady boy, steady!"

This isn't happening, this isn't happening, this isn't happening! The sixteen year old couldn't tear her gaze from the three titans hot on their trail. It seemed almost impossible now for them to get anywhere near the southern wall, let alone Shiganshina.

"Lyra! Get outta there!"

The brunette snapped back to reality, realizing that the three titans had all lunged for her at once. Luckily, her horse had sensed the danger and veered off to the side, increasing its speed. "Good, girl!" Lyra let out a shaky breath and rubbed the grey mare's neck.

It was pretty clear that the group was now approaching the outskirts of an abandoned village. Piles of debris and rubble were scattered everywhere. But that wasn't all.

"Oh...My God..." Lyra mumbled, her jade colored orbs staring ahead in horror.

A horde of titans wandered around the town, and as soon as her scent caught their attention, they trudged forward, their eyes locked onto the small group. Now, at least ten pairs of hungry large eyes in many ugly shapes and sizes were locked onto them. We're...we're surrounded!

"AGHH!"

The sound of Eren crying out caught her attention. The crawling titan had leapt into the air, and landed with a thud right next to Eren, sending him flying into the air. With a loud thud he landed directly on his back, the force of the impact knocking the air out of his lungs. A deep, choking noise rose from his throat as his eyes stared up in shock. His horse landed far away, and with a startled screech from the back of its throat and a crack of its neck, the animal was dead.

"Eren!" Lyra tried to ride over to him, but a seven meter had suddenly leapt in front of her, startling her horse.

"No!" Eren shouted, pushing himself up off the ground," Leave me! Don't die for me just go!"

"No! Get Jaeger, Everhart!" Connie demanded, "He's essential to this mission! If he dies, everyone who has died today has died in vain!"

The girl glanced between Connie and Levi, awaiting orders. When none came, she dug her heels into her horse's side and charged forward, evading the titan's clawing hands. Leaning down, she grabbed Eren's forearm, and using all of her strength, she managed to pull him up onto the horse. "Hang on!" She instructed and turned around, forcing the mare back towards Levi's squad.

"What do we do, sir?!" Sasha screamed in terror, glancing around at the titans surrounding them.

"Engage!" The captain ordered, pulling out his blades. "Take em down!" He growled confidently.

Hastily, Lyra reached for her blades, dropping the reins.

"No! Not you two!" Levi barked, "Everhart, Jaeger, head towards the forest!"

"Captain! We need to keep Eren with us! We can't split up!" Mikasa attached herself to a nearby sunken-in rooftop.

"These two won't last a minute in this mess!" He argued, "You wanna keep your brother safe? Well, this is our best option! Now go!" He turned towards the two cadets on horseback.

"Wh-What?!" Lyra's mind was swimming. She was inexperienced and had hardly any knowledge of the layout of Wall Maria. Where would they go? Would they get lost? How were they supposed to defend themselves all alone?!

"That's an order!" Levi shouted, a furious look crossing his face, "Take Jaeger and get the hell outta here!"

"But-!"

"THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?! HE SAID GO!" Eren shouted and grabbed the reins, smacking the already jumpy horse into motion. Lyra shrieked, reflexively grabbing a hold of the horse's mane to prevent herself from falling off. The grey mare bolted forward at full speed towards the treeline, panting heavily as she pushed herself to her limits.

"Captain…!" The brunette glanced back at Erwin's right hand man, watching as he leapt from the back of his horse and reeled towards the swarm of titans with his gear.

"They'll be fine! Just don't look back!" Eren shouted, tightening his grip on the reins.

Tears pricked at the corners of the girl's eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She couldn't fall apart here. She had to be strong. Gritting her teeth, she turned her gaze forward again.

Do this for Erwin.


	2. Chapter 2

The sun was barely visible as it had long since began it's descent in the west. A mix of blues, pinks, purples and yellows blended together beautifully as twilight ended and night began settling in.

 _We've been riding for nearly two hours now…._ Initially, Eren had said that they would stop as soon as they were a safe distance away, but every time she tried to grab the reins to stop her horse, Eren only tightened his hold on them.

It was starting to get chilly now, and Lyra was sore and tired from sitting in the saddle for so long. It wasn't until she spotted a set of caves ahead in the distance that she felt the need to speak up.

"E-Eren," She spoke quietly, afraid that he would yell at her like last time. However she was surprised when she heard no reply. "Eren…?" She asked again. Suddenly, she felt a heavy weight push into her back, the force pushing her forward. Hesitantly, she grabbed the reins, surprised that his hands practically peeled right off, falling limp at his sides. "Eren?!" She glanced over her shoulder in concern.

She was greeted with the sight of a peaceful sleeping face, accompanied with the sound of light snores. _Did he seriously fall asleep on me?!_ Lyra internally raged. "Unbelievable..." She growled under her breath, "Eren, wake up!" She demanded, slapping his leg.

"Ow!" He snorted awake, lifting his chin off of her bony shoulder. Groaning, he wiped his watering eyes and yawned.

"How can you sleep at a time like this!?"

"I'm so tired…" He mumbled, still half asleep, "We have to rest soon."

"What!?" The girl glared back at him, her jade orbs burning with rage, "I wanted to rest a _long_ time ago but _you_ wouldn't let me stop the horse!"

"Look! There are the caves!" He ignored her, pointing towards the giant stone structures know the distance, "We can stop there for the night!"

"The caves the captain said to _avoid_?" Lyra emphasized, "No way, it's too late for that now! Besides, we don't have any supplies to set up camp. We should just keep riding until we find other scouts so we don't freeze or starve to death."

"The rest of the scouts have probably already made camp somewhere far off." Eren argued, "We won't have much luck finding them in the dark. We'll be fine, it's just one night. This horse can't ride any longer, it's been going all day. Just head for the caves."

"It's _dangerous!_ "

 _"Just go!"_

"No! It's not safe here!"

"Ugh!" He growled in frustration. "Just...give me the reins!" He reached around her, trying to grasp the pieces of leather firmly grasped in Lyra's hands.

"No!" The girl argued, pulling them out of his reach, causing the horse to step around in confusion, "We aren't..." She struggled to keep them away from him,"...staying here!" The horse cried out as the two pulled the reins in different directions. "Eren, let go!"

 _"You_ let go!" Eren snatched the reins, using his arms pin hers at her side. "HYAH!" He smacked the reigns against the poor horse's shoulder blades. To say it was scared, confused and overly exhausted was an understatement. As loyal and well trained a scouting horse was, of course it tried to obey even in its current unstable state, bursting into a sprint immediately at the sound of the human's words.

"HYAH!" Eren urged the horse on again. Lyra could see the caves clearly now. They were just up ahead, across an open field.

"Stop you're pushing her too hard!" The sixteen year old yelled as the tired horse began to zigzag and wobble crazily, "We're going too fa-!"

The horse shrieked as its ankle gave out, buckling under the weight. The two soldiers yelled as the horse threw its rear into the air, sending them launching into the air.

"GNGH!" Lyra let out a grunt of pain as her back came in contact with the hard and damp ground. "GAH!" The wind was abruptly knocked out of her lungs by Eren's body falling on top of hers. She coughed, trying to get air back into her lungs.

"Ugh," the titan shifter groaned and lifted his head, his teal colored eyes locking with a pair of jade ones. "You...you ok?"

"I-I'm fine," The brunette looked to the side, her nervousness and uneasiness returning. "E-Eren-"

"I'm sorry, that was all my fault..." He cut her off, a twinge of sadness showing in his electrifying eyes.

"EREN!"

"What?"

"You're...crushing me…" She choked out, her lungs aching for air. "Get...off!"

"Oh...OH!" Realization dawned on his face as he noticed the awkward and uncomfortable position they were in, his cheeks tinting to a dark shade of pink. "S-Sorry!" He quickly scrambled to his feet, allowing the girl to sit up.

Lyra took in a deep breath of much needed air, coughing as she tried to catch her breath. But just as she was going to push herself off the ground, her eyes focussed on an outstretched hand in her line of vision. Her mind seemed to freeze them, her body going rigid.

She hesitated, afraid to take the scarred hand with bite marks covering nearly every inch. She had forgotten her fears momentarily, but they now returned as she was reminded of what he truly was. The girl instantly regretted making him angry, as she realized that he could've transformed and crushed her if he wanted to. _Or worse…._ She shivered at the thought.

He followed her gaze to his hands and frowned. "It's alright, come on..." He encouraged, and grabbing her wrist, he pulled the girl to her feet.

"Oh, Lily..." Lyra snapped back to reality, a pang of sadness hitting her chest as she gazed at the grey mare lying on the cold and damp ground. The horse breathed unevenly, flailing its legs around and wheezing as it tried to fill its lungs with air. Collapsing to the ground, the girl placed a hand on the animal's heated neck and whispered words of comfort. Sadly, her eyes drifted to the animal's clearly broken front leg.

"I feel bad...it's my fault." He walked towards the two, pulling out one of his blades.

"W-Wait! What are you doing!?" Lyra demanded, her eyes wide with fear.

"Putting her down..." He answered plainly, as if it was obvious.

"WHAT!? NO! DON'T!" The brunette rushed towards him and grabbed his arm. Slowly, he lowered it, his eyes locking with hers.

"Lyra, there's nothing we can do for an injured horse out here. We don't have the materials to help her-she's just dead weight now. We can't drag her around, we can't ride her anymore, and we'll get killed waiting for her to limp after us."

"But...but..." The girl swallowed, holding back her tears. She knew he was right. There wasn't anything they could do, and by the looks of it, the horse was in a tremendous amount of pain and distress. She couldn't stand to see it suffer. Taking in a shaky breath, she tried to calm herself down. "Fine," Lyra quickly turned away, wiping the tears from her eyes. If there was one thing she knew, it was that she didn't want Eren to see her in a weak state. "I'm going to go look for some firewood..." And without waiting for a reply she briskly walked away, heading off in search for some dry wood.

Eren watched her leave, a stinging pain raising in his chest at the disappointed look on her face. "It'll be quick and painless..." He spoke up, only to have her ignore him. Once she was out of sight, he turned his attention back to the horse, its brown eyes staring blankly at him.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, and raised the blade above his head.

* * *

Wrapping her arms around herself, Lyra huddled as close as she could to the small fire. She tried to distract herself by humming a quiet tune. She wasn't fond of staying in the caves. After all, she grew up knowing nothing but dark stone walls. She shivered as unpleasant memories resurfaced in her head. Plus it didn't help that the fire provided only a small amount of warmth.

It was now pitch black out, and the cave seemed to get more and more eerie with every passing second. Every movement she made rang out through the darkness, and every once in awhile, she would jump at the sight of a moving shadow cast on the stone walls, only to realize that it was nothing more than her own. Placing her hands over her ears, she tried to drown out every sound. She had made sure that she was far away from Eren when he put the horse down, but no matter how hard she tried to ignore it, she had heard the shrill, ear piercing cry of the dying animal. Now, as she sat there alone by the fire, she could still hear it, replaying over and over in her head.

But of all the bad things that were happening right now, the horse actually wasn't the first thing on her mind. Pretty soon she would have to share that cave with Eren. Just the idea of being asleep, in her most vulnerable state with him around made her stomach churn uneasily. Lyra had been fine so far, so long as he kept his distance, and that her ODM gear worked in case she needed to escape. But in reality, all she wanted to do was to go to sleep and forget everything.

All too soon Lyra's solitude eventually came to an end as Eren finally entered the dark and cold cave. He made sure to wipe all of the blood from his blade beforehand, knowing that the sight of it would just upset the girl even more. "Hey!" He spoke lightly and cheerfully in attempt to lighten the mood, a bright smile plastered onto his face. As he sat down, he noticed the wet gleam on the girl's cheeks and puffy bloodshot eyes, "Hey..." He repeated, concern flickering across his face. When he received no verbal reply, he outstretched a hand towards her, only to have it violently slapped away.

"Don't touch me!" Lyra shrieked, her jade orbs wide with fear and anger. His gesture was the straw to break the camel's back. After screaming at her, falling asleep on her, causing her horse to break its leg, and then putting it down, she had reached her breaking point.

The boy leaned back with a hurt expression, lowering his stinging hand. "Look, I know this is all my fault and I'm sorry." He sighed, "I just got a little worked up earlier."

Lyra closed her eyes, ignoring him, her body shaking as the cold began to seep into her. She didn't want to risk going out for more firewood, but the fire was now nothing more than a burning pile of embers. And to her dismay, her green cloak provided little warmth.

Eren frowned, noticing her obvious discomfort. "You know, if you're cold, we could always share body heat. It doesn't have to be awkward or anything we could just-"

"N-No," The brunette cut him off sharply, her body continuing to rattle from the cold air, "I-I'm fine,"

"Lyra, your teeth are chattering-"

" _I said I'm fine!_ "

He flinched away, shocked at her sudden outburst. After a minute of silent contemplation, his gaze drifted to the ground. He opened his mouth, then closed it, a defeated look on his face. He sighed, folding his arms atop his knees.

"Do you not wanna sit close to me because you're mad at me? Or..." he hesitated, glancing sideways towards her,"...is it because...you're afraid of me?"

Lyra froze, her eyes widening in shock.

"I saw the way you looked at my scars..." He mumbled, sadness glazing over his eyes. "It's ok if you are, I can't really blame you...I understand why...I know that I'm a monster…."

"Eren..." Now she felt bad, her stomach twisted and her heart sank. "You're _not_ a monster." She spoke confidently and sincerely. "I just-"

"But I _am_ human too, Lyra." He argued, "I'm not going to hurt you by my own will, and I can't turn into a titan unless I really need to. It's true I can't control myself very well in titan form but...I'm getting better at it...and I don't want you to be scared of me. I don't transform unless I _absolutely have to_ , and even then I need permission from either Erwin, Levi, or Hanji. I _swear_ would _never_ hurt you on purpose!"

The girl gave him an uneasy look before sighing in defeat, her eyes locking onto the dwindling flames of the fire. "I'm sorry...Eren. I didn't mean to make you feel like a monster. You're not...I just…" She sighed, placing a hand in her throbbing forehead. "I didn't exactly have the best experiences with titans growing up. And...that day we first met didn't help much either."

"Oh yeah," The boy looked down, almost ashamed. "I'm sorry about that, again. I don't know what came over me…But," he perked up, "I'm better now. I swear something like that won't ever happen again!" Using his index finger, he crisscrossed over his chest. "Cross my heart."

Lyra let out a soft laugh, "I forgive you for that. It was partially my fault too, I guess. I didn't stop to think how my scent would affect you…I just got the impression that you saw me as nothing more than a walking meal, so I kept my distance."

"Huh...I'm sorry if I gave you that impression." He inched closer to her shivering form. When she didn't shy away, he moved a little closer until his body was touching hers. The brunette had to stop herself from leaning into him. The warmth he radiated felt nice against her numb and cold skin. "I'm sure screaming at you and killing your horse didn't help much either," He grinned sheepishly.

"It's ok...I didn't mean to judge you before getting to know you. I'm sorry, too..." Her mind was hazy and spinning from everything that was currently happening. Lyra felt like she was on the brink of breaking down. She just wanted to wake up, still convincing herself that this was all just a bad dream and that she would wake up the next morning in her room back at the Survey Corps headquarters. She didn't know how much longer she could last in the state she was currently in.

"Don't apologize...I completely understand your fear since-Lyra?!" He exclaimed in surprise as she latched herself onto him, her fingers gripping his shirt for dear life.

"E-Eren!" The petite girl wailed, burying her face into the soft fabric of his shirt. "I-I can't do this anymore! Erwin was right...I should've just stayed at headquarters. I-I don't want to be here, I want to go home! I'm scared! I'm going to die here! I'm going to be eaten alive, I can't stand it-!"

"L-Lyra calm down!" He brought a hand up and began stroking through her dark brown locks, "It's gonna be ok." To be completely honest, he wasn't sure if everything was going to turn out well for them. But the last thing he wanted to do was make Lyra more worried and stressed than she already was. "I'm sure they'll send someone to come look for us, and if not, we can go and search for help first thing in the morning." Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her close, allowing his body to heat hers.

"L-Leave the cave and walk around without a horse?!" The brunette girl continued to shiver, from both the cold and her own hysteria. "Y-You're crazy! T-Titans will be s-swarming once the sun rises. W-We'd be surrounded!"

"Heh," he chuckled, trying to lighten the mood, "Yeah, I guess you're right. That _does_ sound like a pretty dangerous idea. But we'll starve in here if we don't find the others. And besides, if titans find us here during the day, we'll be cornered inside this cave with no chance of escape."

"I guess...I guess that's a good point." Lyra admitted, closing her eyes. The heavy stress was exhausting her both mentally and physically. She was close to falling asleep against him.

"Anyway, we have our maneuvering gear, so if we do run into titans we can get to high ground."

"The ruins of Jericho are right behind us…" Opening her mouth, a yawn escaped her lips as her body was begging for her to rest. "Why don't we look there for some food or shelter that's higher up there?" Lyra mumbled, fighting to stay awake. "Might even be easier for us to see the Scouts if they come close…"

"Sounds like a plan, but for now, we need to take advantage of these few hours of night we have left. From the looks of it you're hardly awake." Eren observed, his cheeks tinting a slight shade of red at the sight of Lyra falling asleep on his shoulder. "I'll stay up for a while longer and take the first watch."

"Ok," Lyra yawned again, snuggling into his side. "Wake me up whenever you want to sleep, I'll take a turn and watch."

"Mm hm," he nodded, watching as the girl's hold on him loosened, her breathing leveling out. Within seconds she was out cold.

Eren had never been one to pay much attention to girls, but he found himself staring down at the peaceful sleeping face of Lyra. Her long lashes fluttered against her rosy cheeks as her eyes moved behind her lids. Her mouth was slightly parted, taking in quiet breaths of air. He smiled at her cute expression and in a caring gesture, he gently brushed a loose strand of hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear before leaning back against the cave wall behind him.

* * *

 **AN: *phew* Finally got this uploaded. Sorry for the extended** **absence over the past two years, but I really didn't have any motivation to right. Plus, I generally don't like uploading stories until I have them mostly finished. As for this one, I pretty much have it all written out, I've just been going back and re-editing different parts to make the story more enjoyable. Next chapter should be up soon, hopefully within the next week or two. I always appreciate reviews, so don't be afraid to comment or add suggestions. They always help me out :).**


	3. Chapter 3

The warm rays of the sun broke over the horizon, illuminating the dark cave in an array of golds and pinks.

Upon feeling the sudden warmth, jade colored orbs groggily opened, squinting at the sudden brightness.

It took a moment, but the events of the previous night suddenly came flooding back to her. Gasping, she sat up, glancing around for the familiar angry titan shifter. However, he was nowhere to be seen. Panic setting in, she scrambled to her feet. "Eren?" She called out, her voice echoing through the empty caverns.

There was only silence.

 _Shit! Where the hell is he?!_ Fumbling with her boots, the brunette quickly pulled them on, hopping as she pulled the thick leather over her straps and jeans. Not wanting to venture outside without some form of protection, she made sure that she still had her boot knife and set of growing blades on the inside of her jacket. _Good,_ she sighed in relief, _still there. The gear will just slow me down. I need to find him quickly._

Briskly making her way towards the cave entrance, she peeked out into the opening, scanning the area for any potential danger. When she realized the coast was clear, Lyra gathered up all her courage and ventured outside the cave.

 _If the titans don't kill him I sure as hell will!_ Where on earth would he have gone? The question plagued her mind, gnawing at her conscience and ensnaring her in a web of anxiety. Had he left to patrol the area? Did something happen while she was still asleep? Did something carry him off? Flashbacks of the 57th expedition came to mind. Though she remained at headquarters for further training, news of the female Titan and the attempted capture of Eren had spread like wildfire. Though Annie Leonhardt was captured, and both the Armored and Colossal titans disappeared into the wilderness of Wall Maria, the thought of him being kidnapped terrified her. What would she tell the Scouts? How would she be able to find her way back to them all by herself? Would she even be able to make it without being devoured by titans first?

Her mind conjured up an endless list of "what ifs", driving her more and more crazy with each passing second. Placing her hands on either side of her head, she tried to drown out her own thoughts and focussed on calming down. _Breathe, Lyra, breathe. Remember what Erwin said. Stay positive and think clearly. Look for clues and go from there._

Breathing know through her nose and out through her mouth, Lyra took a moment to relax and scanned the area for any potential leads as to what may have happened. Her jade colored orbs caught sight of an indentation in the ground. Quickly she got down to her knees, tracing over the rustled dirt and mud. _These are human footprints._ She concluded, noticing the indentation of the heel of a boot. _And only one set of tracks-so he most likely wasn't kidnapped._ The conclusion brought some relief. But it still didn't answer the question of where Eren had ventured off to.

Suddenly, the sound of a twig snapping caught the girl's attention, making her abruptly jump and turn around. Warily and skeptically, Lyra's eyes drifted across the open fields, eventually locking onto a small patch of trees right outside the cave.

Instinctively she reached for the large knife hidden in her boot, grasping the black hilt firmly as she pulled it out and hid it behind her back. Though she knew her knife would do little against a titan, she knew that the area had been deserted for years, and sad probably lying home to wild bears and wolves. Quietly and cautiously she inched towards the small patch of trees, her eyes never leaving the tall evergreens and bushes.

The sound of another twig snapping followed by a rustling in the bushes alerted her that something was getting closer.

Prepared to defend herself, Lyra raised the knife, moving to grip it with both hands. Muscles tensed, she hunched down, reading herself to spring forward and attack the moment something burst from the treeline.

The rustling became louder, the bushes at the edge of the treeline moving as if something was about to come out.

Swallowing, Lyra trembled as her fears resurfaced, the worst case scenario playing through her mind. What if it was watching her? What if it was waiting to pounce on her? _Come on, Lyra, move!_ She tried to order her body, only to tremble and shake more. Consumed by fear she couldn't even open her mouth to speak or scream.

It wasn't until she spotted a flash of brown emerge from the treeline that she was able to move, kicking off the ground and charging at the threat full force.

"LYRA!"

The sudden scream brought her out of her blind fear and back to reality. Realizing that the threat was no threat at all, Lyra sighed her heels into the ground, skidding to a stop just before she collided with a certain angry titan shifter. Panting, she lowered her knife, the crazed and fearful look vanishing from her eyes. "E-Eren?!" She asked in shock and disbelief.

Said boy seemed to be just as surprised as her, holding a hand out defensively in front of him. However the shock quickly faded from his face, only to be replaced by anger. "The hell are you doing?! Are you trying to kill me?!"

 _He's...yelling at me…?_ It took Lyra a moment to process what had just happened. _He_ was angry with _her_? The realization made her blood boil. " _You're_ shouting at _me_?!" She shrieked, pointing an accusing finger at him. "You're the one who just wandered off without saying anything!"

"I just went to get some food for us!" Eren argued, motioning towards the pile of berries in his hand, "Besides, the sun's barely over the horizon, titans haven't even started moving yet! I was coming right back!"

Lyra's eyes drifted down to the pile of black colored berries in his hand. Gasping, she instinctively slapped his hand away, sending the round pieces of fruit flying everywhere. "That's nightshade, Eren, you'd be dead in minutes! Please don't tell me you ate any of that?!"

Silence fell between the two, the look of anger slowly fading from Eren's face. "Lyra," He spoke quietly, taking notice of the sudden wet gleam on her cheeks, "I-"

"You had me worried sick!" The brunette wailed, tears leaking from the corners of her eyes and streaming down her face, "Damn you!" She cursed, suddenly throwing herself at him and wrapping her arms around him in a tight embrace.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, returning the embrace. "I didn't think you'd wake up this early, you were out cold."

"I thought you'd been kidnapped!" She hissed under her breath. "For all we know the colossal and armored titans could still be out there, waiting for the right opportunity to attack. We'd be surrounded, unable to call for help, unable to defend ourselves-I just want to make it back to the Scouts-"

"If you keep thinking so negatively we _won't_ make it back to the Scouts. Jeez...you need to calm down."

Lyra knew he was right. If they ever wanted to make it back to the scouts alive, she needed to think rationally. No more of these "what if" situations. "You're right," she sighed, pulling away from him, "We should head back to the cave-test our gear before we head out."

"Yeah," he agreed, "hopefully that fall yesterday didn't damage any of our gear."

The two soldiers returned to their temporary shelter, relieved to see that no titans had appeared in the area. Wordlessly, the two soldiers began suiting up, fastening their straps to their ODM gear. Running a hand through her stringy and tangled hair, Lyra secured her gear and tested it to make sure it was working fine. _No dents and a full tank of gas. Thank God._

"There," Eren sighed and brushed off his clothes, securing the last strap to his gear. But upon moving, his shirt had managed to get caught on one of the wire reel cases, making the piece of fabric roll and scrunch up uncomfortably.

"Ugh, stupid shirt!" he groaned, pulling the piece of wool fabric up over his head.

"Hey, Eren we should probably-" Lyra stopped short, freezing in here tracks as her eyes locked onto him.

His training had definitely paid off. The morning sun reflected off of his slender tan waist, emitting a radiant glow. When he bent over to unbuckle his gear, his abdominal muscles flexed slightly, defining them even more in the fantastic lighting. Muscular, rounded biceps tensed as he stretched his arms until they cracked, and he released a sigh of relief.

"Ahh...that's better," He glanced over towards Lyra, pulling his shirt back over his head. A look of puzzlement crossed his face as he noticed the tint of pink on her cheeks," ...what?" He asked obliviously. Boys could be so dense.

"N-Nothing!" The brunette suffered and fumbled with her ODM gear as he put his back on. "Y-You should test yours out, too!"

He smirked, chuckling at her expression. Her face scrunched up in such a ridiculous way that he actually found quite adorable. "Alright, _Pancake_."

Lyra clicked her tongue, shooting him a disapproving look at the unflattering nickname. "Wipe that smirk off your face! We have to get going so just-"

 _"I am! I am! I'm going!_ Jeez... _"_ Fumbling with his straps, he walked over to the edge of the cave and tried to shoot out a wire from his gear. It clicked softly, but nothing happened. He tried again.

"Uh...Eren?" Lyra asked uneasily, taking a step towards him..

"No, no, don't come over here it's fine!"

"I think yours is broken..."

"No Lyra, it's not!" Eren argued. "It's...just jammed. Yeah, that's all!" Unbuckling a few straps, he fumbled with the wire reel and began checking to make sure that everything was secured correctly. But despite all of his efforts, the broken gear clicked repeatedly, refusing to work. Minutes passed of him checking the gas, playing with the blades, and clicking repeatedly. Least to say, Lyra was growing impatient.

"Eren, it's broken! We have to go just-"

"UUUAAHH!" He took off the broken gear in frustration and threw it on the ground. "Piece of fucking junk!" He cursed, kicking it across the ground.

"E-Eren, calm down!" Lyra was beginning to feel nervous. He was terrifying when he was angry, and to say he was angry often was an understatement.

"How am I supposed to get around without it?!"

"I'll-"

"You'll _what!?_ "

The girl abruptly shut her mouth and stepped back, her jade orbs flickering to the ground.

He immediately regretted seeing the hurt expression on her face. "Lyra, I'm sorry..." He ran a hand through his hair, exhaling to calm himself.

A moment of awkward silence passed between the two before Lyra spoke up. "You can have mine-"

"Absolutely not."

"But Eren-!"

"No! You'll get killed!"

"And what about you? You can't outrun the titans either!"

 _"It's more important for you to be safe!_ "

The sixteen year old huffed, her anger fading. Glancing off to the side she frowned, chafing her hand against her arm as she shifted uncomfortably. "Eren you know that's not true. You're humanity's only hope..."

"Yeah but…" He sighed in defeat, "when I see the Commander...the way he looks at you..." He pinched the bridge of his nose, "I wouldn't be able to face him again if I returned without you. Plus..." He hesitated, "I don't want anything to happen to you, either."

"Eren that's..." Her cheeks burned red, "...very sweet of you."

"Yeah, well..." He blushed as well, "We should probably head out now...I'll at least bring the blades. Might as well have _some_ type of defense _..._ "

"I'm scared, Eren." Lyra admitted, fidgeting nervously, "What if something happens to you and you can't get away?"

"I always have my titan form up my sleeve-"

"NO!" She suddenly burst out, her eyes wide and terrified. "That is _absolutely not_ an option!"

"Well then what do you expect me to d-!"

"I'll...I'll, carry you or something...if we need to get to higher ground. I can hold onto you and then-"

"You really think you can carry my weight? You couldn't even lift me up onto the horse yesterday!"

"Well! I-"

"That's enough! We are done talking about this!" Grumbling, the boy hastily pulled on his boots and grabbed the blades from his gear. "We're wasting time! Don't worry about me. Let's go!"

 _Why you little-!_ Lyra opened her mouth to speak but abruptly shut it, knowing that arguing wasn't going to get them anywhere. Grumbling to herself, she placed a hand inside her jacket, relieved to feel the set of knives still secured and hidden from sight.

"You coming or what?"

The brunette glanced up, surprised to see her companion already standing at the edge of the cave, his blades drawn at his sides.

Swallowing, the girl removed the hand from her jacket. "Y-Yeah," She stuttered, jogging to catch up with him. Though her gear was working and she had plenty of blades, a part of her was still concerned and on edge. Would they really be able to make it back to the Scouts alive?

The question weighed heavily on Lyra's mind. For some odd reason, she felt the need to bring her set of throwing knives on the expedition. She had the nagging feeling that something was going to go terribly wrong, and that she would possibly have to resort to using her throwing knives. The girl shivered. _I pray that doesn't happen. I can't imagine what good they'll do...or what on earth I would have to use them for…_

"Hey," Eren spoke up, noticing the troubled look on the girl's face. "You ok?"

Lyra shook her head, snapping back to reality. "Y-Yeah," she spoke quietly.

"It's gonna be ok," He tried to reassure her, "We'll find the Scouts in no time. They're probably just ahead of us. If we get to higher ground, we might be able to spot some smoke from their campsite."

The sixteen year old tried to think positive. "You're right," she agreed, forcing a smile. Quickly, she took a hold of his hand, and began dragging him forward, "Let's go!"

* * *

 **Figured I'd post this now since the next chapter is going to be pretty long. Anyways, the next chapter should be up within the next week. Just hold tight! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

It only took a few minutes for the two soldiers to reach the nearby abandoned city. As the two carefully and quietly inched their way through the vacant alleyways and streets, Lyra was beginning to get a strong sense of deja vu. From the stone architecture all the way to how laundry was hung on vinyl strings between the buildings, the scenery wasn't much different from life within Wall Rose.

Lyra shuddered. To think...Jericho used to be one of the highest producers of weaponry in the walls. And not that long ago, people used to live here. This could've easily been Trost just a few months ago...

The sun was making its way to the highest point in the sky, burning down and threatening to roast them alive. Though the extra layers trapped the heat and made them sweat profusely, their cloaks were the only thing protecting their faces from the scorching sun. Not wanting to fall behind, Lyra stuck to Eren's side, afraid to let him out of her sight.

"You look stressed," Eren commented, taking notice of the girl's tense posture and alert jade orbs. "Is...something wrong?"

Lyra rolled her eyes, "Gee, I don't know, Eren. Why do you think I'm stressed?!" She spoke in a harsh whisper, her eyes glancing around for any sign of titans. When there weren't any, she grabbed Eren's forearm and darted across the city street, taking refuge in an alleyway closer to the city exit.

"You wanna talk about something? Might ease your mind a little..."

"Seriously?" She turned to look at him, raising an eyebrow in question. "That's a terrible idea. The last thing I need is to be distracted, Eren." The brunette shook her head, amazed at his stupidity. "Right now, we need to focu-" Gasping, Lyra abruptly grabbed Eren's sleeve and pulled him behind what was left of an old house on the corner, startling him in the process. He opened his mouth to say something, but Lyra was quick to place a hand over his mouth, placing a finger to her lips.

"Look," She mouthed, pointing out into the main city street.

Numerous titans, each one bigger then the next slowly roamed around, getting a little too close for comfort.

Pushing her hand away, Eren peeked out from behind the building. "They smelled us..." He whispered, his eyes glaring daggers at the mindless naked monsters. However, the anger quickly faded from his face once he noticed that his companion was shaking. "Lyra?" He spoke quietly, outstretching a hand towards her. "Are you alri-"

"...No escape…" The girl muttered, placing a hand to her clammy forehead.

"What?" He asked, not quite hearing what she said.

"Ican'tescapeIcan'tescapeIcan'tescapeIcan'tescapeIcan'tescape-"

"Lyra, snap out of it!" Grabbing the girl by her shoulders, he forcefully whipped her around, her startled and terrified eyes locking with his. "E-Eren…?" She stuttered, frozen where she stood. Her confused jade orbs glanced around in panic. "What-"

The girl was cut off by a hand over her mouth. "I thought you said that you needed to stay focused. I can't have you spacing out on me. I know you're scared, but you need to get a grip on yourself if you ever want to make it back to the Scouts."

The sixteen year old sighed and removed his hand from her mouth. "I'm sorry," she apologized, letting out a shaky breath, "I'm fine now, let's go." Grabbing his wrist, she pulled him around the corner, hiding behind another destroyed house.

"So...if you don't mind me asking...what made you join the Survey Corps?"

Lyra froze, her whole body going rigid. Though it didn't necessarily bring up a surge of emotion, it still struck a nerve.

What made you join the Survey Corps? The words repeated over again in her head, the question eerily familiar.

"It's ok, if you don't want to tell me...After all, we don't exactly come from similar backgrounds."

The hell is he saying?! The girl glanced back at him, a mix of anger and shock crossing her face. Don't tell me he's losing it too?! "Eren! You're gonna get us killed!" Her quiet voice was shaky, as she began to feel uneasy.

"I'm gonna kill them, Lyra. I'm gonna kill them all…" He mumbled, his teal orbs seeming to stare off into blank space.

An eerie silence rang out, a warm and humid breeze rustling through the abandoned city.

Lyra was aware of the fact that he was a survivor of Wall Maria, and that his mother was killed in front of his eyes. She had managed to sneak a peek at some of the paperwork of the new recruits, and to be honest, Eren's had been the one that intrigued her the most.

She looked at him, feeling sympathetic as the devastated look in his eyes told her he was bringing back harsh memories. Sighing, the girl pulled him into a nearby building that provided what seemed like enough shelter.

Closing the door behind her and sitting him down on the floor, Lyra kneeled in front of him, her jade colored orbs locking with his.

"Look, I know the scenery brings back painful memories for you, and it does for me too...but right now, and I know this sounds difficult, but I need you to stay focused. No daydreaming, no reminiscing. I can't have you getting hurt because you aren't paying attention to your surroundings."

She could see a tear form in the corner of his eye, but it refused to fall.

"Hey, hey..." She placed her hand on the side of his face, using her thumb to wipe the images tear from his eye. "Please, be strong for me. You're supposed to be the strong one," though her voice was shaking, she forced a cheery smile, "Don't cry, please. If you start crying, then there's no hope for me."

"I...I'm not crying," He mumbled almost angrily. And like a pouting child he pushed her hand away, placing an arm over his eyes.

Lyra sighed. At this rate they'd be caught and devoured for sure. Placing a hand on his, she leaned in closer, speaking in a more gentle tone. "Eren, listen...I need to tell you something."

He lowered his arm slightly, just enough for his angry and sorrowful eyes to lock with hers.

"I know sometimes it may feel like no one understands...Like only your friends from Shiganshina know your pain...and share your anger and hatred for the titans. But..." She looked down, a lump forming in her throat. It was difficult to bring up her past. "Eren...I spent my whole life believing that I was worthless and unwanted so much to the point that I thought I was abandoned by my parents." She clenched her jaw, trying to get her emotions under control. "Even though I taken against my will, even though I was treated like a lab rat, even though I was injected with that cursed serum that turned me into a freak-I never lost my will and desire to live."

Eren's eyes widened at her words. He opened his mouth to say something, but Lyra was quick to cut him off.

"After I was rescued from Project Immunity, I was given information about my birth family. Eren, I wasn't abandoned. My parents-they were from Wall Sina. It was a house fire that separated us, and I was kidnapped and shipped off for experimentation after my parents were confirmed to be dead. I...I had a little brother...and a sister. They were sent off to an orphanage in Trost. The day I was supposed to meet them Wall Rose was breached. The orphanage was right by the outer gate. The building was destroyed on impact and-"

"Stop," Eren placed a hand on her shoulder. "You don't have to say it," A tear rolled down his tanned cheek, "I'm so sorry I made you say that. I should've never asked."

"No, no, Eren, please don't feel bad." The girl shook her head, wiping the unshed tears from her eyes. "I wouldn't have said anything if I didn't want to. It was good to let it out. I just...wanna make it home...with you by my side."

A look of shock flickered across his face at her words. Had he heard correctly?

"I can't return without you," She forced a smile. And outstretching her arms, she placed her hands on either side of his face. "So please...be strong for me?"

The boy's cheeks tinted a dark shade of pink. "Lyra…" Leaning forward, he outstretched his hand, gently tucking her hair behind her ear. And cupping the side of her face, he leaned in closer.

Lyra closed her eyes, awaiting for their lips to meet.

"AAAAGH!" The girl let out a shriek as she was suddenly launched into him with a brute force from behind, her face colliding with his chest.

The wall behind them had caved in, sending them both flying as a huge hand forced it's way through the already weak wall.

Lyra landed with a small grunt of pain into Eren's lap. The flying dust and bricks hitting her full on.

"Lyra!" Eren coughed, the thick cloud dust and debris entering his lungs. "Are you alright?"

Shakily propping herself up on her arms, she brought a hand to her forehead. Groaning, she pulled it away, her eyes locking on her now red-stained fingers.

"Lyra!" He brushed a few strands of hair out of her face, his eyes glazing over the large gash above her right eye. "That cut looks pretty deep, are you ok?!"

"Gngh!" She hastily wiped the blood onto her shirt, scanning Eren's face.

His face and neck were coated in scratches and scrapes as well, but she found no sight of any major injury. Even now, his skin was giving off small amounts of steam as the wounds slowly healed. "Don't worry about that right now!" She argued, pulling him up by the collar of his jacket. "They've found us. We gotta move!"

The titan that broke down the wall luckily couldn't get it's fat arm all the way in to grasp them, but it's dangerous hand still flailed around desperately in an attempt to grab one of them.

"Eren! Are you gonna be ok?!" She asked, pulling him out of the building and into the street.

Eren gritted his teeth, dragging his leg behind him as he leaned on her for support. He placed all of his weight on his right leg, limping heavily.

Lyra cursed, "Dammit! You did get hurt!"

But that seemed to be the least of their problems. Titans were already beginning to swarm as soon as the two started to walk down the cobblestone street. At least three looked down, their hungry eyes locking down onto Lyra in particular.

"You need to leave me!" Eren encouraged, "Just go! I'm gonna get you killed!"

"There's no way!" She grabbed him and pulled him in the opposite direction, heading deeper and deeper into the heart of the city.

"What're you doing!?" He demanded, watching as the girl reached into the left side of her jacket. He could on stare in shock as the girl pulled out a small blade, and with a quick flick of her wrist, she whipped it behind her, managing to hit one of the pursuing titans in the torso.

"Since when do you have throwing knives?!" He asked, watching as she drew another knife and threw it, this time hitting a four meter class in the leg.

Two down, only six left. Lyra took in a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. "If I can take out their eyesight, it could buy us some time!" Glancing over her shoulder, she hissed at the sight of three large seven meter classes still following them. If I wanna hit them dead on, I'm gonna need to get closer! In a split second decision, the girl dug her heels into the ground, pulling both of them to a skidding halt.

"The hell are you doing?!" Eren shouted, "We need to keep moving!"

Turning around, Lyra took a few steps towards the advancing giants, pulling out two knives. Just breathe, Lyra. Aim for the eyes. Letting out a shaky breath, the girl drew back one of her arms. With a quick snap she sent one of the blades flipping forward. With a grotesque splurch, it pierced one of the eyes of a seven meter class. Quickly, before it could react, she threw the other knife, hitting the opposite eye.

I did it! Lyra felt both elated and relieved at the sight of the towering monster letting out a painful screech, clawing at its steaming eye sockets.

Pulling out two more of the small blades, she continued to use her technique, managing to take out the eyes of three of the towering beasts.

"I'm fresh outta knives! Let's go!" The girl urged, pulling Eren down the main cobblestone path of the city once more. However, more titans began to enter the city, emerging from nearly every street.

Shit! Lyra mentally cursed, scanning the area for a way out. What do I do...what do I do?! She rattled her brain for an idea, each passing second making her feel more and more anxious.

"Lyra there's no way out!" Eren argued, "Just use your gear and get to high ground! It's not safe down here!"

"Fat chance!" The girl retorted, swinging his arm over her shoulders, "I'm not leaving you!"

"What are you-! Put me down!" Eren demanded, trying to fight her off as she slung the boy onto her back. While she normally would've buckled under the weight, the adrenaline pumping through Lyra's veins gave her the strength to pull him on top of her.

"Hang on, Jaeger!" Panicked sweat dripped down her forehead as Lyra fumbled with her gear. She just hoped it was strong enough to support the weight of two. She had seen it done before during a training exercise, but the extra weight made it extremely difficult to balance.

Pulling the trigger, Lyra shot out a wire towards the roof of an old house. The anchor sunk into the stone firmly, and began to pull both of them up with a stressful screech.

"You're crazy!," Eren held tightly onto the petite girl as the ground below him disappeared. "Wait, my blades!"

"Leave them!" Lyra spoke firmly, her jade orbs locking on the approaching building. "We can't afford any extra weight!" The strained gear whipped the two around with difficulty, throwing them onto the roof top. The harsh landing immediately threw Eren off of Lyra as the two rolled across the tiles.

"Gngh!" Lyra hissed as her pant leg ripped, the hard texture of the roof scraping against her exposed flesh.

"It worked…" She laughed weakly, springing to her feet and ignoring the pain "It worked!"

"Don't celebrate yet," Eren pushed himself to his feet, relying heavily on his uninjured leg. "This isn't a very tall building." He pointed to the two fifteen meters who wandered into the area, their heads high above the height of the roof the two had taken refuge on, "The bigger ones are still coming."

Lyra's eyes widened, her body shaking. She was on the verge of tears again. It was then that a sick realization hit her with brute force. Every victory, every small ray of hope was always extinguished. They were never safe. For every step forward they took, they were abruptly forced two steps back.

"Well then what do we do!? I'm out of ideas! My gear could barely us this far! There aren't any taller buildings nearby, and I don't think I can get us to the ones farther away," The girl placed her hands on either side of her head, tearing at her hair frantically.

"You can go on without me, you know! Your gear would get just you around fine!"

However Lyra completely ignored his comment, irritated that he repeatedly suggested that she leave him behind. "Well, we have to try," She argued. Grabbing his arm, she pulled him onto her back once more, "Hold on tight!" She glanced around at the surrounding buildings for a suitable target.

Trying to relieve as much weight as possible, Eren struggled off his green cloak and jacket, abandoning them on the rooftop. And locking his hands together, he wrapped them around Lyra's neck. "Dammit! They're everywhere!" With a weak hiss and reel from the ODM gear, the two propelled past a seven meter. It's hands reached out to grab them, but luckily, it missed.

Bouncing between buildings, Lyra carried Eren down the old abandoned streets, going much slower than she would've liked. However, when her gear reeled them around a sharp corner, the two soldiers were met with an unpleasant surprise.

"Watch out!" Eren yelled upon spotting a thirteen meter class grab their wires.

"GAH!" Lyra cried out as the two were pulled downwards, her body coming into harsh contact with the cobblestone street. Her blades flew out of her hands, and she distinctly heard a crack and hiss from her strained gear.

"Lyra, come on!" Eren encouraged, "Get up!" Grabbing her forearm, he pulled the disoriented girl to her feet just before the titan could bring its foot down on top of the two.

Eren attempted to pull her in the opposite direction, but found it blocked by at least three of the large beasts. He looked around, panicked, and caught sight of the only escape. He limped over and dove into a wide side alley, dragging his squad mate behind him.

Now there was no exit. The titans moved closer, blocking the entrance to the alley. The two soldiers retreated further back, but eventually hit the wall of the narrow passageway.

"We're trapped, Eren!" Tears began to form in the brunette girl's jade orbs. Desperately, she tried to make her gear work, pulling the trigger repeatedly. But it merely clicked and hissed. No...this can't be happening! It's broken...no...no...NO! "Come on!" Lyra whispered frantically, her body shaking, "Work! Work!" She was beginning to hyperventilate, going into hysterics. Tears poured from her eyes like rivers,"Please! Please!" She pleaded with the ODM gear as if it had its own mind, and it was consciously choosing not to work for her.

She froze, her body going into shock. Memories of the past suddenly started flying back to her. The overwhelming feeling of dread-like a bird trapped in a cage- and the impending feeling of doom engulfed her, threatening to choke her and smother out any sense of hope that she still had left. "T-This is it, Eren..." She sobbed hopelessly,"We're...we're gonna die here!" She latched onto him, her shaking fingers digging into his shoulders, "I...I'm so sorry! I couldn't keep us safe!"

"No." He spoke firmly, his teal orbs igniting with a burning fury. "This isn't over...not yet!" Eren pushed the girl behind him, backing up, "Stay back."

"Wha-" She stopped short, watching as Eren brought his hand up to his mouth. Her body reacted faster than her mind, and she grabbed his arm, pulling it back. "No Eren, don't!" She screamed, her terrified eyes pleading. "You can't transform here! What if-!"

"You wanna live!?" He turned towards her, his teal eyes burning with rage, "I'm not dying here!"

"You can't-!"

"We don't have to die, Lyra!" Eren argued, his eyes sincere and determined, "I can save us. I'm gonna keep you safe!" Turning back around, he opened his mouth again, bringing his hand to his lips.

"Eren don't-!"

But it was already too late.

* * *

 **Phew, finally got this uploaded. It's a little longer than the previous chapters, but I decided to make it a little longer since the wait was a little long. Sorry to leave you guys on a cliffhanger, but the next chapter is coming soon!**

 **Please review! It keeps me going! :)**


	5. Chapter 5

Sparks flew from Eren's body as blood dripped down his hand, a huge bolt of lightning spiraling down from the sky. The minute it struck Eren, Lyra was thrown backwards from the huge explosion. Her left shoulder came in full contact with the hard stone of the alley wall, a loud crack ringing through the air on impact. The girl let out a scream of agony as pain immediately resonated from the area, pulsating down her arm with every move she made. Closing her eyes, she slowly slid down the wall into a sitting position, cradling her stinging arm.

Head spinning, it wasn't until the sixteen year old heard an earth-shaking roar that her eyes shot open, her weakening senses on high alert. Panting heavily, Lyra glanced around for the source, but a huge plume of dust and steam hung in the air, preventing her from seeing anything more than a few feet in front of her.

With a foggy mind and blurred vision, the human hastily unstrapped the buckles of her broken gear. It was useless now that it didn't work, and she knew the dead weight would just slow her down.

Lyra tried to stand, holding her aching arm. But as the ground shook and rumbled, she immediately fell back down.

"Eren..." The name left her lips in a shocked whisper, her jade orbs looking up in awe. As the dust settled, she was startled by a giant foot crashing down right in front of her. Her eyes followed the ankle up to muscle-clad legs and a firm torso.

 _That's Eren's titan form?_ Clutching her limp left arm, the brunette couldn't tear her eyes away from the fifteen meter class titan standing right in front of her. Her eyes took in a tangled mess of long dark brown hair, pointed ears, and an intimidating pair of glowing green eyes. "Ere-" the girl gasped, covering her ears as the titan let out another furious roar.

He didn't even glance back as he launched himself onto the titan in front of him. With a low growl, he knocked it to the ground, tearing into the creature's nape with his teeth.

Gripping onto the wall behind her for dear life, Lyra tried to stand, her eyes locked onto the fight that was unfolding in front of her. _Mikasa wasn't kidding, he really is the physical embodiment of humanity's rage..._

Another titan, much smaller than Eren but sly and quick jumped and latched onto Eren's leg. They both stumbled backwards into the alley, and fell.

"AHH!" Letting out a startled shrieked, Lyra covered her head, preparing to be crushed. Taking in a shaky breath, the brunette backed up against the wall as Eren's head landed at her feet.

"Eren!" The brunette cried out, fearful that he was injured.

However he didn't acknowledge her in the slightest. Turning the little titan around in his hands, he managed to grab its long blonde hair. And with a quick jerk of his arm, he pulled off the monster's head.

The titan fell limp, it's blood splattering everywhere. Lyra hissed as some of the hot liquid splattered onto her, sizzling and scorching her exposed skin. However it quickly evaporated, leaving behind only a few small burn marks.

 _I…I have to get out of here!_ Lyra concluded, knowing that she wouldn't last much longer in the titan battlefield.

Dirt flew into the air as Eren stood up to take down the next titan. Two of them wrapped firmly onto his ankles, gnawing on his steaming skin. Growling, he shook them around, trying to get them off.

Fumbling with the straps of her ODM gear, Lyra hastily removed it, abandoning the heavy pieces of metal on the ground of the alley. She knew she was going to have to make a run for it, and she knew the extra weight was only going to slow her down.

Covering her mouth with her injured arm, she mentally prepared herself for what she was about to to. Adrenaline pumping through her veins, she took a deep breath and abruptly kicked off the ground, bolting past Eren and the mindless titans, and out of the alley.

As she began to run down the street, the brunette glanced behind her, surprised to see the two titans dead on the ground, their corpses already beginning to sizzle and disintegrate.

With no other titans nearby, Eren finally stopped moving. His huge form stood tall, emitting large plumes of steam as he breathed heavily. His hands were clenched tightly into fists at his sides, making his veins pop out, and his defined muscles twitch. His eyes scanned the area slowly, as if he was bored with no titans left to kill.

Lyra stopped running, digging her heels into the ground to bring herself to a skidding halt. By now she was a good distance away, and slowly, her eyes drifted up to look at him. A million questions were racing through her mind. Was he alright? Was he in control? Was it safe to approach him?

 _Well he's not attacking me,_ Lyra pointed out. That at least was something. It seemed safe to say he was still mentally there.

He looked a lot safer in this docile state. He had ceased his snarling and growling, and his eyes seemed to stare off into blank space.

Swallowing, Lyra hesitantly took a step forward, squinting to look up at him. "E-Eren?"

The titan's pointed ear twitched at the sound of her voice.

"Eren!?" Lyra spoke louder, getting desperate. Her heart thumped loudly against her ribcage, uneasiness settling in.

His head snapped in her direction, as if he had just now realized her presence. His large brows furrowed, signalling that he had indeed understood her.

 _Oh thank God_ , Lyra sighed in relief when Eren's huge body slowly stomped towards her. He kept his intense gaze on her the entire time, his steps shaking the ground.

He walked until he loomed directly over her, his glowing eyes completely fixated on her.

Gazing up at him as he cast a dark shadow over her, Lyra felt her confidence start to slip. He truly was a terrifying sight. Her instincts were screaming that something wasn't right-that she needed to run. But she stayed put, her feet glued to the cobblestone road. "E-Eren…?"

"...!" Gasping, the girl leapt to the side, barely escaping the giant fist that had suddenly come flying at her.

Rolling across the cobblestone road, the brunette writhed in pain as her shoulder crunched and rolled around uncomfortably. Mustering as much strength as she could, she got to her feet, staring up at the possessed titan that had just attacked her. _This isn't happening...this can't be real! This is just...a bad dream…!_

"Eren!" She shouted, wincing at the pain on her left side as she moved. Her glassy jade orbs locked onto him frantically, her entire body trembling. "Don't you recognize me?!"

The brunette was answered by another fist flying at her. She managed to dodge it again, but collapsed onto the stone road once again, her legs giving out beneath her. Pushing off the ground, she was prepared to spring to her feet and run, but was stopped by a giant hand enclosing around her legs.

"Eren, no!" Lyra shrieked, clawing at the ground for dear life as she was dragged towards him, lifted into the air like a tiny ragdoll. His hand enclosed around her, pinning her arms to her sides.

 _There's no escape…!_ The girl thought hopelessly, her terrified eyes unable to look away. Tears streamed down her face like rivers.

The two seemed to stare at each other for an eternity before the titan brought her closer to his face, his large nose looming over her head.

Lyra froze, her hair rustling slightly as the titan sniffed her. _Oh God..._ Her stomach churned and her head began to spin. "Oh God, no!" She sobbed hopelessly, "Eren pl-" She stopped short, squinting her eyes shut as the titan's fingers constricted tighter around her like a boa constrictor. "Eren…" She choked out, "I can't...breathe…!" Her eyes widened in horror as she found herself staring into the titan's open mouth. And it was at that moment she came to a sickening realization.

The Eren she knew was gone.

"Oh God, please…!" She sobbed, gasping as the giant's fingers continued to squeeze the life out of her.

"AAAAGH!" She let out a cry of agony as she felt a crack in her side, her elbow slipping too far into her rib cage. Coughing, she gasped for air, hopeless sobs wracking her frame. _This is it...he's going to kill me!_ "E..Er...en." She wheezed out, black spots dancing across her vision as she felt her consciousness slipping.

She could feel her burning lungs collapse as she let the darkness overtake her.

 _Let it be quick now…_

* * *

 **So what did you guys think? Sorry for the late update, but I haven't really had a whole lot of time to write as of late. I've been busy with school work, commission work, AND regular work. But putting that aside, I've created a playlist that goes along with this story. You can find the link on my profile page, and I'll be slowly updating it as I create the story. Anyways I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Don't forget to review and favorite!**


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